Known Morph Issues
In this article we review various morphs and morph combos that have known issues associated with them. Please keep in mind this is a guide and new studies and findings are discovered on a regular basis and may not be immediately reflected. If you notice outdated or information that needs to be updated please feel free to reach out via the contact page.
(Note this page is best viewed on a PC)
Standalone Morphs
Morph | Single Gene (Heterozygous) | Super Form (Homozygous) |
|---|---|---|
Caramel Albino | Recessive Gene Single Gene form not a visible morph | Kinking and female fertility issues |
Sable | No issue | Wobble |
Banana / Coral Glow | Gene is linked to Sex Chromosomes for gender determination | No issue |
Cinnamon / Black Pastel | No issue | Duckbill and Kinking issues (kinking is noted to be rare) |
Lesser / Phantom / Butter | No Issue | Noted to sometimes have bug eyes |
Spotnose | No issue | Wobble (Super also known as Powerball) |
Desert | Fertility issues with Females | No Super form due to fertility issues |
Woma | Wobble (varies) | Not Viable (Lethal Combo) |
Hidden Gene Woma (HGW) | Wobble (varies) | Not Viable (Lethal Combo) (Super also known as Pearl) |
Champagne | Wobble (varies) | Not Viable (Lethal Combo) |
Cypress | No issue | Wobble (Varies but considered low compared to Spider) |
Woma | Wobble (varies) | Not Viable (Lethal Combo) |
Spider | Wobble (varies) | Not Viable (Lethal Combo) |
Morph Combinations
Paring | Issues |
|---|---|
Lesser Platinum x Piebald | Offspring generally have small eyes - Does not affect quality of life or health |
Sable x Spider | Sever Wobble and a very low hatch/survival rate (Generally considered a lethal paring) |
Black Head x Spider | Noted to diminish or negate the Wobble. (Does not remove the neurological disorder linked to the gene that causes the wobble) |
Champagne x Hidden Gene Woma (HGW) | Sever Wobble (Not considered viable) |
Champagne x Spider | Not Viable (Lethal) |
Spotnose x Spider | Noted as a Lethal Combo though some evidence shows that the introduction of other genes may increase survivability |
What is Wobble?
Wobble is a common term used in the reptile industry to describe a visual neurological disorder. For the purpouse of this article we will use the term wobble as it applies to various ball python morphs.
As noted in the chart above, the wobble can be seen in morphs that include Spider, Woma, Super Cypress, Hidden Gene Woma, Champagne, Super Sable, and Powerball.
The wobble itself is a neurological disorder that affects motor function and can be seen visually in varying severity which can be anywhere rom "Not visible" all the way to "Sever". If you were to do a YouTube search for "Spider Wobble" you would likely find videos of only the most sever displays of this wobble. However, in reality the severity is more commonly on the lower end of this spectrum. Basically put it is variable and will be different with each animal.
**Note**
(A newly released study recently published by bioRxiv on Jan 6, 2022 (which has not yet been peer reviewed but is still an interesting read), eludes that there is some evidence that the wobble in spider morph snakes may be caused by deformities found in the inner ear. We will continue to review the progress of this new study as it is peer reviewed and further information is provided. But we welcome to read the entire study yourself here. It provides some new information as to what may be the cause of the wobble.)
Given that there are no survivable Super forms of this genetic wobble ( when speaking of Spider, Woma, HGW, Champagne), it can be inferred that it is not related to any form of inbreeding or line breeding of the morphs. It's quite the opposite actually, specifically speaking of the Spider gene it is probably one of the most out-crossed genes to date due to the fact that Super Spider combinations do not fully develop or if they do somehow hatch, do not survive past hatching.
It was in-fact the Spider morph that was the first to be discovered sometime in the late 1990's (1998-1999) with the wobble. Given that the Spider gene is a dominate gene in its heterozygous form shows that it is a naturally occurring genetic "defect". Yes, Spider ball pythons do exist in the wild as do many other stand alone morphs do.
This shows that the wobble does not play a major effect in the ability to survive. Though the fact remains that there are many who will debate the ethics of breeding any of the morphs that contain the wobble. The fact of the matter is that with proper husbandry (though some alterations may be needed on a case by case basis such as extra hides, enrichment and lighting adjustments to reduce stress) a Ball Python with a wobble can live long and healthy life in captivity.
I will also note that the wobble is not something that currently, can be breed away though several attempts at adding other genes to do this have been tried. To date the most notable paring that seems to at least hide the wobble is when you pare Spider to Black Head. The effect of this paring seems to mask the wobble making it not visible. But further breeding of those offspring that produce Spiders without the Black Head have displayed the wobble.
Diving a little deeper
In this section we are going to go a little more in depth as to some of the issues that one may come across with some of the Morph Combinations and Super Forms listed above.
Spider Parings
Super Spider, Sable x Spider, Spider x Champagne, Spider x HGW, Spider x Woma, Spider x Spotnose
I first want to clarify the term lethal as it pertains to the following information does not mean will not hatch. It rather refers to the survivability ratio based on the paring. Meaning that in almost all cases offspring do not survive much past hatching, are culled by the breeder due to the severity of the wobble (generally feeding problems), or otherwise do not survive to adulthood.
As the table outlines all of the parings listed are considered to be lethal regardless of other genes being present in the paring. One exception to this to consider is Spider x Spotnose. There is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that the inclusion of even one other gene be it recessive or otherwise seems to increase the chance of offspring survival of that particular paring. However, there are no definitively documented instances of a Single Gene Spider x Spotnose paring being successful. All noted parings contain other genes in the mix. There is also no concrete data provided as to clutch sizes and hatch rates to make a determination on if the ID's of the few noted surviving parings actually have both genes in them. As such based on the lack of this information the inference is that the paring is lethal which is also supported by Justin Kobylka, who is one of the predominate leaders in the Ball Python Industry.
Spider x Black Head
There is evidence that the Black Head gene seems to mask or otherwise hide the wobble when paired with Spider. This doesn't cure the wobble, as offspring that contain Spider without Black Head will still have a wobble, however, it is reported that Spider Black Head combos do not wobble. There is no other information if Black Head has similar affects with other morphs that have the wobble.
Other Super forms
Super Champagne
Hatchlings do not thrive that long after hatching if the egg makes it through incubation.
Super Hidden Gene Woma (Pearl)
There have been noted Super HGW's or Pearls that have hatched alive but with a sever wobble and generally do not thrive long after hatching. So the paring is considered to be lethal. However, Some breeders have noted that a paring such as HGW x HGW , Lesser can produce a Pearl, lesser (Also known as a Soulsucker Pearl) that is viable and additionally does not show any sign of wobble.
Super Cinnamon & Super Black Pastel
One of the more common issues with this paring is they are born deformity called a Duckbill. Duckbill is a narrowing of the nose near the eyes, making the end of their nose look wider, giving the appearance they have a beak like a duck. There have also been accounts to where this deformity was such that it prevents the ability to eat. This level of deformity is rare though and generally it does not seem to effect their eating or cause any other issues, they just look a bit different. The other reported issue, though rare, is a higher than normal kink rate. From some of the breeders I have spoken to it seems that lowering the incubation temperature by 2-3 degrees seems to eliminate the kinking issues as it lengthens the duration of incubation by around 7-10 days allowing for a slower and longer time for healthy development.
Super Lesser, Super Butter & Super Platinum
First to note, Lesser, Butter and Platinum are all essentially slightly different variations of the same morph, as such they all have the same issue in regards to the Super form. The super form of these parings will produce an all white Snake commonly referred to as a Bel or Blue Eyed Lucy. It is reported though that sometimes the offspring may have larger protruding eyes or "Bug Eyes" that stick out a bit more than normal. There is no negative issues with this the eyes can just sometimes be a bit bigger.
Other morph combinations
Carmel Albino
Caramel Albinos is a recessive gene that does not have a heterozygous form meaning the "Super Form" is the visual. There are no issues with Ball Pythons that are "Het" for Carmel Albino. However, visual versions are known for having a very high kink rate. Meaning they can be born with spinal deformities. The severity of the kinking generally is the determining factor of if the snake will thrive or not.
Another issue that is noted relates to the Females which are known to have what is called sub-fertility issues. Meaning they can lay viable eggs, but generally lay vastly more slugs. This issue seems to vary depending on which breeder you are talking to, as some report having zero issues with either the kink issue or the fertility issue.
Desert
There is substantial evidence that female Desert Ball Pythons are not fertile often becoming egg bound as a result of paring and if they do lay, all eggs are slugs. Many different methods have been attempted to produce viable eggs, but so far none have been successful. Another important thing to note that a female becoming egg bound can be fatal if the eggs are not removed.
Lesser Platinum x Piebald
Some breeders report that offspring from this paring tend to have smaller than normal eyes. This defect does not affect there ability to thrive.
Banana & Coral Glow
An article that was published by Current Biology in July 2017 made the discovery that both Pythons and Boas actually have XY sex chromosomes. Because of this study, it gives a better understanding as to why Banana/Coral Glow morphs have Male Makers and Female Makers due to the Morph being directly linked to the sex chromosomes.
(Updated 5/10/2023)